Swamp Rabbit With Deer Fly

I photographed this Swamp Rabbit with a Deer Fly on its nose near my cabin in the Ouachita Mountains here in Arkansas. These Deer Flies seem extra terrible this year for animals and humans. They lay eggs near water or dampness and it has been a wet year here in Arkansas so far. I had one trying to bite me on the face while I was photographing this rabbit.

Swamp Rabbit With Deer Fly
This Swamp Rabbit has a Deer Fly on its nose.

How I Got The Shot

I was hand holding my Fujifilm X-T3 with a Canon EF 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II lens attached with a Fringer EF-FX Pro. I was shooting in aperture priority mode (AV) with a shutter speed of 1/1100 of a second at f7.1 and the ISO at 2500. I also had a -0.3 exposure value. White Balance on auto.

Swamp Rabbit Facts

  • Swamp Rabbits are large cottontail rabbits found in the swamps and wetlands of the southern United States.
  • These rabbits like wet areas, and will take to water and swim.
  • Swamp rabbits spend a great deal of their time in depressions that they dig in tall grass or leaves, providing cover while they wait until the nighttime to forage.

Deer Fly Facts

  • Male deer flies collect pollen, female deer flies feed on blood.
  • Females mainly feed on mammals.
  • One good thing is that they will not go into buildings.
  • They find prey by sight, smell, or by carbon dioxide.
  • Other attractants are body heat, movement, dark colors, and lights.
  • The females create a cross-shaped incision using scissor-like mandibles and maxillae and then lap the blood.

Source for the above facts: Wikipedia contributors, “Swamp rabbit,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia,https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Swamp_rabbit&oldid=898365765 (accessed July 3, 2019).

Wikipedia contributors, “Deer fly,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia,https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Deer_fly&oldid=904420270 (accessed July 3, 2019).